July 17, 2010

As president Donnie Nelson said last week in Las Vegas,
summer-league center Omar Samhan is heading overseas.

Nelson helped set up the 6-11 former St. Mary’s standout
with a nice contract in Lithuania, which has a legitimate league that is well
respected in Europe and by NBA teams.

It’ll be interesting to see how Samhan, who has nice
skills but little athleticism, fairs in Europe. But it will undoubtedly be a
smart decision for him. He’ll make more money over there than he could
have in the NBDL. And the chances of making an NBA roster were slim at best.

But after a year or two overseas, he might be capable of
being a second or third center in the NBA.

July 16, 2010

Mavericks’ owner Mark
Cuban has put the wheels in motion about the possibility of him buying the financially
troubled Rangers – or perhaps joining a group that would purchase them –
he said today.
Now that the bankruptcy judge
has clarified some of the Hicks-related issues, I have been taking a closer look,’’
he said this afternoon. “I think there is an opportunity to
organize a bid for the team. Or if it’s feasible or possible, and I
don’t know for sure if it is or isn’t, to work with Chuck (Greenburg)
and Nolan (Ryan) and their group. I’m not trying to push anyone off
or out. I’m exploring.’’
Cuban has maintained in the
past that his interest in purchasing any baseball team that wasn’t the
Chicago Cubs was passing, at best. But he said things have happened recently to
change his opinion.
“The economics have
changed, which has gotten me interested,’’ he said. “My
lawyers are still going through everything , but the bigger point is that I now
have an interest. As I learn more I will have a better understanding about how
aggressively I will pursue the interest and whether or not I will actually make
a bid come the first week of August or whenever the court sets the date for
bids.
“That’s all I can
say on the matter.’’

July 15, 2010

The league’s Basketball Without Borders program will
be going to Africa for the ninth year and Mavericks’ coach Rick Carlisle
will join a stellar cast of players and coaches going to help promote the game
in Africa and help talented young players there with their games and life
skills.

After eight years in South Africa, the BWB African
initiative will be in Dakar, Senegal, for the first time.

Former Maverick director of international affairs Amadou
Gallo Fall now is NBA vice president for the development of the league in
Africa and will be running the four-day camp.

Give Tyson Chandler an A for attitude in his first visit
with Dallas media members.

Chandler has always been a jovial sort and he also showed
this morning that he’s got the Mavericks’ best interests at heart,
saying he is completely comfortable being the backup to Brendan Haywood.

Chandler also knows that, in this business, roles like that
often are fluid.

“I’m very excited about it,’’ he
said of the trade from Charlotte to the Mavericks. “I was jumping around
(about it).’’

He added that his health is better now than it has been
since he was coming off that 2008 playoff run against the Mavericks when he
torched them with all those dunks off of Chris Paul lob passes.

“This is the first summer in a while when I’ve
been healthy,’’ he said. “I’ve been able to train since
two weeks after the season.’’

Chandler will be working out with the players trying out for
the USA Basketball national team starting Friday in Las Vegas. It’s an
honor he’s happy to get. And he’s even happier knowing that he’ll
be able to give his left ankle and foot a good test drive. Injuries kept
Chandler out of 29 games last season.

But mostly, he’s happy to be in Dallas. And if it’s
as a sixth-man, so be it.

““Yeah I’m definitely fine with that,’’
he said. “I think we all have the same goal in mind. So I’m good
with it. I feel like I can definitely speed the pace up for us as well as be an
anchor defensively for us.’’

The newest Maverick has accepted the invite to try out for
the national team, which meets for its first mini-camp this weekend in Las
Vegas.

He’s the only Maverick participating in the camp since
Jason Kidd has informed USA Basketball that his international career as a
player is probably over.

Chandler might be considered a long shot to make the U.S.
team. However, the Mavericks could have a slew of players participating in the
World Championships in Turkey in August. J.J. Barea is going to play for Puerto
Rico, Roddy Beaubois, Ian Mahinmi and perhaps Alexis Ajinca will play for
France and Dirk Nowitzki still is weighing his options about perhaps playing
for Germany.

July 13, 2010

The Mavericks have traded Erick Dampier, Matt Carroll and
Eduardo Najera to the Bobcats for Tyson Chandler and Alex Ajinca.

It’s not known whether Charlotte will waive Dampier,
which would allow him to re-sign with the Mavericks. The Bobcats most certainly
will not pay Dampier’s $13-million salary for the 2010-11 season. But
they could elect to move him along in a trade.

The Mavericks now have a solid center by committee of
Chandler, Brendan Haywood and Ian Mahinmi.

The trade of Erick Dampier and spare change for Tyson
Chandler makes a ton of sense for the Mavericks.

The main reason is that itwill not be anything close to the
financial hit for owner Mark Cuban that acquiring Al Jeferson would have been.
Chandler would come for one year at more than $12 million. Jefferson would have
been more than $42 million over three years and would have cost the Mavericks
untold future draft picks.

Apparently, the mortgage of the future is far less in the
Chandler deal.

Plus, Chandler is in the final year o his contract,
which means he’ll be trying to earn next year’s money. That’s
not a bad situation for a team to be in, especially with a center. Yes, we
know. All NBA players try hard. But sometimes they try just a little harder
when money is on the line.

In addition, Chandler was at his best when paired with Chris
Paul, who fed him a ton of lob passes for easy dunks off the pick and roll.
That’s one more offensive wrinkle the Mavericks could add to their
portfolio.